FIM SGP2 TITLE RACE KICKS OFF IN PRAGUE ON FRIDAY

01/06/2023

FIM SGP2 TITLE RACE KICKS OFF IN PRAGUE ON FRIDAYFIM SGP2 TITLE RACE KICKS OFF IN PRAGUE ON FRIDAY

Speedway’s stars of the future take centre stage as the FIM Speedway Under-21 World Championship launches with the Prague FIM SGP2 of Czech Republic on Friday at 19:00 CET.

FIM SGP2 returns for its second season in 2023 as part of global promoter Warner Bros. Discovery Sports’ vision to elevate the sport’s stars of tomorrow and bring FIM Speedway’s junior events to the world’s top tracks.

For the second season running, Prague’s legendary Marketa Stadium, which stages its 29th Prague FIM Speedway GP of Czech Republic on Saturday, hosts the opening FIM SGP2 of the year, with round two at Polish club Gorzow on June 23 and the title decider at Denmark’s Vojens Speedway Center on September 15.

Polish racer Mateusz Cierniak topped the podium in the inaugural FIM SGP2 event in Prague last year and heads into 2023 chasing a second straight FIM SGP2 title

2022 FIM SGP2 champion Mateusz Cierniak

After dramatically passing Latvia’s Francis Gusts on the last lap of the final to triumph at Marketa Stadium, Cierniak went on to win round two at Cardiff’s Principality Stadium and then clinch the FIM SGP2 world title with third place at the final round in Torun, Poland.

He’s joined in returning for the 2023 series by Petr Chlupac, who flies the flag for the Czech Republic. Swedish duo Casper Henriksson and Gustav Grahn also return to the FIM SGP2 series from the 2022 line-up.

Returning FIM SGP2 stars Gustav Grahn and Petr Chlupac

Gusts qualified but does not take his place in Prague after his Polish club Ostrow confirmed he suffered a broken wrist in a Bauhaus Elitserien home match for his Swedish team Lejonen on Tuesday.

With first series substitute Nazar Parnitskiy of Ukraine also nursing a broken wrist, which his Polish club Leszno confirms he sustained during his FIM SGP2 qualifier in Pardubice on May 20, Great Britain’s Anders Rowe steps into the Prague line-up as second series substitute.

Newcomers to the championship include Poland’s Bartlomiej Kowalski, who impressed in the Orlen FIM Speedway GP of Poland – Warsaw, winning a heat at the iconic PGE Narodowy.

Sweden’s Philip Hellstrom-Bangs is back on the world stage – two years after his unforgettable performance at the 2021 FIM Speedway of Nations Final in Manchester, when he took the fight to the world’s best riders, racing alone for his country following injuries to senior teammates Jacob Thorssell and Pontus Aspgren and winning the hearts of the Manchester crowd.

German senior champion Norick Blodorn and Australian Under-21 champion Keynan Rew both hope to emerge as title contenders after qualifying for the full series in 2023, having served as substitutes last year.

The Danes track a host of talented newcomers, with Emil Breum and Esben Hjerrild both winning their FIM SGP2 qualifying rounds, while Nicolai Heiselberg joins them.

And Norway’s Mathias Pollestad makes history as the first rider to represent his nation at this stage of the FIM Speedway Under-21 World Championship since Bjorn G Hansen raced in the 2001 final at Peterborough.

Polish racer Damian Ratajczak – a product of the legendary Leszno academy – and Slovenian prospect Anze Grmek also debut in FIM SGP2, while 2022 series regular Daniel Klima returns as Prague wild card

FIM SGP2 newcomer Bartlomiej Kowalski
 

2023 PRAGUE FIM SGP2 OF CZECH REPUBLIC LINE-UP (in FIM ranking order with rider numbers): 161 Emil Breum (Denmark), 27 Keynan Rew (Australia), 94 Esben Hjerrild (Denmark), 33 Norick Blodorn (Germany), 243 Philip Hellstrom-Bangs (Sweden), 302 Bartlomiej Kowalski (Poland), 842 Mateusz Cierniak (Poland), 43 Casper Henriksson (Sweden), 111 Anders Rowe (Great Britain – substitute for 140 Francis Gusts), 63 Nicolai Heiselberg (Denmark), 118 Gustav Grahn (Sweden), 523 Damian Ratajczak (Poland), 999 Mathias Pollestad (Norway), 226 Anze Grmek (Slovenia), 44 Petr Chlupac (Czech Republic), 16 Daniel Klima (Czech Republic – wild card), 17 Jaroslav Vanicek (Czech Republic – first track reserve), 18 Matous Kamenik (Czech Republic – second track reserve).

 

PRAGUE SGP2 FANZONE: FRIDAY, JUNE 2

Fans heading to Prague can enjoy two packed afternoons of entertainment in the Marketa Stadium fanzone ahead of racing on both Friday and Saturday.

Friday’s fanzone opens at 16:00 CET, with all of the 2023 FIM SGP2 riders signing autographs from 16:30 CET. 

There will be a DJ and videos of iconic FIM Speedway action on the big screen, plus the chance to grab a photo with the FIM SGP2 trophy, and brand-new FIM Speedway official mascot Speedy makes an appearance at 18:00 CET.

Vintage bikes will be on display, plus activities for kids and food, drink and official merchandise will be available for purchase.

Prague autograph session

WHERE TO WATCH: Prague FIM SGP2 of Czech Republic – Friday, June 2 at 19:00 CET.

Coverage of the Prague FIM SGP2 of Czech Republic can be enjoyed via discovery+ and the Eurosport App in markets where these are available.

Coverage is also available on:

·      Poland – Eurosport Extra

·      Across the Baltics – Go3

·      United States of America / Canada / New Zealand: Recast: recast.tv/fimspeedway